Internal and external communication plays an essential
role in the way partnerships function.
Partners should keep in constant contact with each other to discuss
their aims and visions but must also remember to involve their
target audience.
It is important communication is clear and concise and helps
individuals understand your role.
Nominate a person to be responsible for communications as this
will help co-ordinate your responses and prevent the sending of
mixed messages.
The first thing to identify is your key message, which can change
throughout the life of your organisation or partnership and
from project to project.
For example, at the outset this message may be your aims and
objectives but it could change at a later date to details of an
open day or event.
Once you have decided on your current key message it is helpful to
go through a three stage process to decide on the best way to send
it to your audience.
Stage one - Who?
Who are you trying to reach with your message? This question can
affect the design and tone of any material you create.
For example, if you are planning a project aimed at the over 70s
would it be appropriate to use to a larger font size on all
materials?
Stage two - What?
What do you want to communicate and how will you measure its
success?
For example, if you are promoting an open day so people can see
your work your main message will be the date, time and venue of the
open day.
Stage three - How?
How it is best to approach your target audience?
For example, if your project is aimed at 16 to 19-year-old students
is it best to put the most comprehensive information on the
internet or as a leaflet?
There are lots of different ways to to put your message across
to your audience.
You need to think which one of the following methods you want to
use:
- Display boards
- Exhibitions
- Leaflets
- Letters
- Press releases
- Newspapers or newsletters
- Posters
- Reports
- Videos
- Website
You should also remember that using different methods can
require a different set of skills as preparing and putting together
information for a newsletter or report is different to that
required for a video or a website.
